A Lovely Accident
by PonderRose
Summary: Ban is steadfast in his love and loyalty to Elaine, but the all-seer tells him that he has yet to meet his soulmate. Try as they might, the two fated individuals can't help but fall in love with each other. An alternate universe to "Holding Ban's Hand". And yes, the character Zero from Vampire Knight will be making an appearance. But no vampires! Enjoy!
1. The All-Seer

" _Yeah? And what, may I ask, is the difference between the love of my life and my soulmate?"_

" _One was a choice; the other is not."_

While everyone was still asleep one morning, Ban woke up after a particularly nasty dream; a horrible memory. Without a word, he grabbed onto what little he had and left. He was going on a journey. A long, long journey to the south. No real reason; he just needed to be on his own for a while. Give himself time to forget.

Ban walked on foot for months, all the way down from Britannia across the Middle Kingdom into Malaga. When he reached the Far Sea, he threw down his bag and contemplated going back to Britannia. He'd been away for long enough. But then he remembered an oracle called the all-seer in a hidden temple in Thessaloniki. 'Why not?' Tossing his bag back over his shoulder, he headed to the rocky tropical seaside cliffs. 'Maybe he can tell me something interesting.'

It took the bandit a few days to reach the temple; those gigantic rocks were harder to climb than they looked. Once there, he went inside to find the sage already waiting for him. "Well, the sin of Greed; the bandit Ban." "That's me," Ban threw down his bag and went to sit cross-legged in front of the all-seer. "You've travelled a long way, my son." "Yeah," he scratched his cheek nonchalantly. "Didn't really have anything better to do so I thought hey, why not." "And why did you come all this way?" "No reason; just thought you might have something interesting to tell me."

The all-seer's eyes lowered onto the man. "You are suffering." This surprised but didn't shock Ban; he was all-knowing so obviously he'd know. Still, it was weird to hear that said out loud. "You miss her- Elaine." Ban's eyes grew then narrowed softly, gazing down a tad. "Yeah… I do, all the time." "She was a good first love." Something about this statement rubbed Ban the wrong way and it made his feelings known. "No, not "first love"; one and only love. Elaine was the love of my life." The all-seer's face didn't physically react; his stare merely stayed locked onto Ban.

"You are correct, my son; Elaine is the love of your life. But you have yet to meet your soulmate." "Huh?" Ban blinked confused. To his surprise, the all-seer smiled- a gentle, loving, knowing smile- for the first time. "You came to hear if I had something interesting to say. Shall I tell you something interesting about you, Ban the bandit?" "Uh sure?" He didn't sound so confident now. The wise old oracle waited for a second, taking his time before continuing.

"Skin white as milk, and chestnut hair; she smells of flowers. Far from here, in the Middle Kingdom, lives a girl; a woman. Soft and gentle, she uses magic with a warm hand. There, in the teahouse surrounded by books and roses, is your soulmate." Ban didn't know what to think right then; just gawking up at the all-seer with large eyes. 'Another woman? Another person to love? No way! Elaine was my one and only; I could never love anyone else. Not even if I tried.' But the all-seer looked so adamant, sincere, and honest that he felt compelled for the briefest of seconds to believe him. 'Still, it doesn't seem possible…. I don't want it to be possible.'

Feeling quite defiant now, Ban crossed his arms and gave a side-smirk. "I don't think so." "Why would I lie to you?" "I didn't say you were lying; I just think you're wrong. Look, I love Elaine; I'm still madly in love with her. It'd be wrong to love somebody else…. It wouldn't be fair to Elaine or them." "You do love Elaine, but she's not your soulmate." "So what? Who says I need to find my soulmate? I already told you; Elaine's the love of my life." "That makes no difference." "Yeah? And what, may I ask, is the difference between the love of my life and my soulmate?" "One was a choice; the other is not."

This caught Ban off guard. He never thought of loving Elaine as a choice; it just sort of happened, naturally. 'To even think that she wasn't my soulmate…. That was unthinkable,' Ban's head gave a hard shake. 'Still…..' "What's her name?" But before the sage could answer, Ban yelped a little and grabbed at the sides of his head. "No, wait! Don't tell me; I don't want to know! I refuse to believe that Elaine isn't my soulmate. And even if she isn't, I don't want to find out who it is. I love Elaine and that's enough for me." "Whether you wish it or not, you and your soulmate are destined to meet; your paths are entwined." "Well, how do I un-twine them?" "You can't. Love has chosen you two for each other."

Ban growled upset. 'This old geezer; and they call him all-seeing?' But, just like before, the bandit chose to express his frustration with attitude. Smirking, he planted his hand on his hip coolly. "Hate to break it to you, old man, but you and the universe are wrong. I'll do everything I can to stay loyal to Elaine's memory. I'll avoid teahouses like the plague; I don't even like tea." "One often meets his destiny while on a journey to avoid it." "We'll see," Ban's smirk grew. "We'll see."


	2. The Seaside Town

A woman in a seaside town was brushing her long, pink hair. She used her magic to keep it pink, simply because she liked the color and it flattered her. After tying her hair back with a ribbon, the young woman headed down the stairs into the house's main room. "I'm off, uncle!" "Ah, where are you off to, Eilonwy?" The middle-aged man with chestnut hair called back; he was behind the counter scrubbing some teapots. "To the university; I want some more books. I'll pick up some fairy dust while I'm out!" "Alright then. Have fun, baby niece!" "I will, love you long time uncle!" She didn't let the door slam behind her.

Eilonwy made her way through the busy streets. Most people ignored her with the odd giving a smile or nod in her direction. Her journey to the potion shop was fairly uneventful. 'Still, it's a beautiful day," she smiled turning up to the sky. It had just started to sprinkle by the time she reached the shop, which was full like usual. Despite this, an attendant came to greet her within seconds. "Afternoon, love." "Good afternoon," she grinned friendly. "Anything I can help you with today?" He was polite; they always were. "Just getting some fairy dust." "Ah!" The attendant reached behind him to pick up a little glass bottle full of sparkly pink powder. "Is this all, my dear?" "Yes, thank you." "Well! The cue starts over there; I'm sure they'll see you soon." "Thank you, sir." He flashed her one last grin as she went to get in line.

Eilonwy loved fairy dust. Granted, it wasn't cheap, but it wasn't something she'd deprive herself of; plus her uncle was fine with it. She would rub it all over herself so to give her mild magical powers for the day. Made life so much easier, particularly getting her chores done. It gave her more time for what was really important- reading and studying. Being a woman, she was barred from attending university as a student. But she and her uncle pulled some strings, so the university library let her borrow as many books as she wanted; so long as she returned them on time. On top of which, it didn't hurt that the dean was good friends with Eilonwy's uncle and late father. He was always delighted to see her, which was often.

Eilonwy entered the campus teeming with young men. She always got a lot of looks here but learned a long time ago to ignore it. The pink hair woman- who consistently smelt of flowers thanks to the fairy dust- made her way straight to the library. It was a massive place with seven floors. Each floor was open at one side, going into the big void that made up the center of the library. The dean liked to mind the front desk, just to get out of his secluded, dull office. And he had help. When they weren't protecting the school at night from demonic attacks, he had his prefects work in the library with him. While most of them were normally happy to see Eilonwy- an actual female, and a lovely one at that- there was one who dreaded her visits.

A student held the library's heavy wooden front door open for her. "Thank you," Eilonwy flashed him a smile before going inside. She had just crossed the threshold when a pair of prefects were descending the side staircase. They noticed each other immediately. "Oh Eilonwy!" The first man's face lit up. "Hello, Karin," she grinned up at him. The mood tensed as her eyes shifted to the man standing beside him. Tall, with short silver hair; he was wearing a white t-shirt with black coat and dark pants. He didn't even look at her, which Karin noticed. Instead, his head turned to the side as his hand rose defensively to his neck. Eilonwy frowned while Karin rolled his eyes.

"Oh, real classy, Zero." The silver haired man didn't respond. "Uh, I-I gonna go see the headmaster," Eilonwy shyly pointed out in front of her. "Ok. Nice seeing you again, Eilonwy." She wasn't even ten feet away before she heard arguing behind her. 'That man…' Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

The dean was busying cataloguing some returned books, too distracted to see Eilonwy approach his desk. She grinned and gently rose her hand up to her lower lip. "Hello." The dean's head shot up and his eyes widened. "Why Eilonwy! What a pleasant surprise!" He set down his quill. "How are you, my dear?" "Very fine, thank you. And how are you?" "Ugh! Miserable!" The dean leaned back in his chair, tossed his head back, and rested his hand on top of his head. "We've had two sea demon attacks this week! My prefects are so busy, they barely have time for their studies. And you know that serpent who overthrew Bartra, King of Liones? I've received a letter from him this morning. Apparently he wants my university to help him identify and locate the seven deadly sins! Like we have time for that!" His hands threw themselves up into the air.

Eilonwy just watched him with a compassionate expression. 'Dean Cross…. He's always so energetic and exhausted at the same time. I wish I could do something.' "Is there anything I can do? I'd like to help you, if I can." "That's sweet of you, angel," the dean gave her a warm smile. "But I'm afraid there's nothing you can do. This is up to me and my poor prefects. No, actually; wait! There is something you can do!" "What's that?" "Make us rejuvenating tea; lots of it. Tell your uncle that we need a constant supply." "I will," Eilonwy giggled. The dean's grin just widened at her. "You're such a sweetheart. It's too bad Zero didn't…." But he caught himself when he saw the look on her face. "Uh… what I meant to say was borrow all the books you want! We've got tons!" His hand shot out in front of him.

'Good save.' "Heh, thank you, Dean Cross. I'll be sure to bring you some tea soon." "Please. And can you please make sure that you brew it?" This made Eilonwy blink to him slightly puzzled. "It tastes better when you make it." 'Oh.' "Sure thing," with a smile, she waved to the eccentric headmaster. "Have a good day!" "You too, love! Say "hello" to your uncle for me!" Content, the girl didn't waste any more time scouting out her books, which took much longer than expected each and every time. It didn't help either that every student she passed asked if she was in the right place- rude- or if she needed any assistance. But eventually, nearly three hours later, she found exactly what she had come for: The History of Malaga and its Fairy Kingdoms.

"Thank you for your help today, boys," Dean Cross addressed his prefects at closing time. They were all lined up in front of his desk still in the library. It was empty by now; or nearly empty. "For tonight, I need you to patrol the campus grounds; report any suspicious action to me." "Yes sir," they replied in unison. The dean grinned. "Excellent. You're dismissed. Oh! And Zero!" The silver haired man paused to peer back at the headmaster over his shoulder. "Be a gem and close up the library for me. I have to go discuss this idiotic "deadly sins" order with the board." Zero nodded wordlessly, which was enough for the headmaster. "Thanks, son!" He quickly gathered up his papers and dashed out of the building.

Zero didn't mind closing up the library; he'd done so countless times before. One quick look around, then he'd lock the front door and go on patrol. As expected, the place was barren. He wasn't expecting to see anyone, which explains why he was startled to find someone in one of the study areas. Resting her head onto the desk, it was none other than Eilonwy; fast asleep with her book out in front of her.

The prefect didn't know how to react right away. He came closer while continuing to watch her sleep for a moment. As he stared, his eyes lowered a tad. 'This girl, this woman…..' A piece of him wanted to let her keep sleeping, dreading the thought of waking her up; especially since they were alone. But he had a job to do and she was currently getting in his way. With a deep breath, his thin pale hand reached down to give her a shake.

Eilonwy's eyes slowly fluttered open, gazing at nothing tiredly at first, then instantly widening when she saw Zero standing there. He didn't look happy, frowning intently down at her. "Where am I?!" "Where do you think? You're at the library." "The library?" She blinked at him confused. 'I must have fallen asleep while reading,' her eyes then turned down to the open book on the desk. Neither her nor Zero realized that his hand was still on her. But when Eilonwy glanced over at it, he immediately yanked back his hand, rolling it into a defiant fist and looking rather awkward.

Neither said anything for a minute. Then, quite abruptly, Zero turned to walk away, pausing only for a second to shoot Eilonwy a look. "Come on, I've got to close up." "Huh? Oh! Ok!" Leaving her book, she scrambled to approach his side. The two walked in silence down the stairs and out into the library's main hall; though she did catch Zero looking at her from time to time. His eyes would immediately shift away, only to return once or twice when he was sure she wasn't looking. They walked like that to the front door, which Zero opened for her. It had started to rain out now, making Eilonwy really wish she brought an umbrella. Zero stared at her for a brief second before shutting the door and locking it. Then he turned to face her, hands buried deep inside his pockets.

"So what now? Are you going home?" "Why do you ask?" Eilonwy responded with another question. Zero didn't look at all amused. "No reason. Just go home, ok? It gets dangerous after dark." 'There is a reason,' her eyes narrowed onto his, but she elected not to push it. Zero wasn't in the best of moods meaning that it was best to leave things well alone. Turning to leave, Eilonwy gave him one last look. "Good night, Zero. Have a safe patrol." "Yeah." With that reply, she stepped out into the rain and started to run for the street. Zero just watched with a forlorn expression, his hands still dug into his pockets.

 _A broken-hearted bandit and human who uses fairy magic. Their fates tied together by the strings of destiny. This- this is their story._


	3. Under an Oak Tree

Ban's P.O.V.-

It had started to pour just as we arrived in this small seaside city; I didn't remember its rain. Elizabeth and Diane began to whine, like they'd never got caught in a little downpour before. "We need to get out of the rain," Meliodas announced in his casual tone. "There's a place," the pig noted to what looked to be a fancy tavern up ahead. "You think they'll let us take shelter?" Elizabeth asked no one in particular. "I think so; what is it?" The chief's hand blocked the rain from his eyes. "It looks like a teahouse."

This made me freeze. It had been nine months since I got back from seeing the all-seer. A lot has happened since then, but I never forgot what he said; about my "soulmate". I remember his words exactly. _"There, in the teahouse surrounded by books and roses, is your soulmate."_ A drop of sweat, or maybe rain- hard to tell- rolled down the back of my neck. The houses had a garden full of roses out in front, with some vines climbing up the side of the walls. Nope! I could see where this was going. I meant what I said when I declared teahouses off-limits. This had bad news written all over it.

I stopped walking and prepared myself to address the others. "Uh, you know what guys? I think I'm gonna go on a little walk; look around…." They paused to gaze back at me with confused expressions. "But Ban, it's after dark and it's raining out," Elizabeth remarked like a genius. "Ah, the rain doesn't bother me," I gave a half shoulder shrug. They didn't know about my uh, potential soulmate; I didn't tell them when I got back. I didn't tell anyone.

Diane looked at King, who looked at Elizabeth, who then all looked at Meliodas. He didn't seem too concerned about it. "Alright, you know where we are," his hand tossed up into air. Ah, good old Meliodas; he never asked any questions. "See ya guys later," content with that, I spun around and took off in the opposite direction, down towards the city center. I wandered aimlessly for a while; no one was about thanks to the rain. But even I, an immortal impervious to illness, couldn't stay out in the downpour forever.

I took shelter under the nearest thing I could find, which happened to be a gigantic oak tree. At the center of the city, just below the short mountain with a castle on top, was a fairly large park. The city likely didn't have enough money to build something useful here so they kept it the way it was. It wasn't a bad idea, especially with trees large enough to cover me from the rain. Resting up against the trunk and tilting my head back slightly, I dug my hands into my pockets and shut my eyes for a second. This tree…. It reminds me of the ones back in the forest…. where I met Elaine. My lips parted a tad to suck in a deep breath. Elaine…..

"Oh, I'm sorry!" My eyes reopened to gaze over at my right side. Standing there was a girl, a woman. She had an expression of surprise and slight alarm on her face. The first feature I noticed about her other than her expression was her hair. It was pink of all colors; pink and long. I could detect sparkles of fairy dust in it. She was clearly a human who used magic, though for what I couldn't imagine. And I felt a little guilty to admit this but I did find her rather striking, beautiful…. in a very girly, feminine way. She was alright for a human, my mind went into damage control. She wasn't wet from the rain to my surprise, making me think that she was already under here for a while. That hair though… I don't know why, but something about her hair just sucked me in…. but not in a romantic way!

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you were here," she started. Her voice was as feminine as she looked; soft. "Ah, that's alright," I gave a shrug of the shoulders. "Big enough for two under here." "Thank you," she smiled at me. Why was she thanking me? She was here first. "Lovely weather out," I heard the mild sarcasm in her voice; her soft, silky voice. "For ducks maybe," I added, just to keep it from feeling awkward. She giggled and looked back at me for some reason. "I was on my way home when the rain got really heavy." "Do you live far from here?" Her head shook. "Just down that street," she pointed in the direction I had just came.

"You're soaked! Where were you off to?" The mysterious girl noted in a half-gasp when she got a good look at my damp clothes. "Nowhere in particular." "Are you from here?" "Nah, I just got in with my friends. They're off dry somewhere." "Oh, I see. And why are you out here alone?" "Just wanted to go on a walk; that's all," I peered up at the sky; the rain didn't look like it was stopping anytime soon. I knew she was still watching me but didn't really care at the moment. My eyes did widen however, when a few seconds later I felt something dry and warm wrap around my neck. I flinted and blinked to see her put the scarf she previously had on around me. I couldn't do anything but stare down at her with big shocked eyes. She meanwhile simply grinned up at me.

"I hope this helps; you must be freezing." "Uh…" I meant to thank her, but the words didn't come out; they couldn't come out for some reason. I then watched as her hands swept over herself; to my astonishment, a puff of sparkly silver dust came off her, forming into a mass right above hands. With one look at me, she unexpectedly wisped the ball at me. I coughed erratically, obviously not used to having dust- no less magic dust- thrown onto my person. "What the hell?!" But before I could ask, or yell at her, she flashed me a brilliant yet gentle smile.

"There; now you can go without getting any wetter. It'll block the rain." Huh, my eyes moved down to some excess dust on my hand. She did that for me? She used her non-human magic to keep me dry? She must think I'll get sick or something if I get any wetter. Gazing up at her, I was almost surprised to see her getting ready to leave her. She hesitated, giving me a chance to examine her lovely pink hair from behind; no specks of dust in it anymore. Wait…. my eyes kept shifting from my hand to her. She didn't… did she just use the last of her magic on me? Is that why's she hesitating? She'll get wet now?

Before I could say anything more, the pink girl looked over her shoulder at me; again, giving a wonderful smile. "It's getting late; I have to get back. Have a good night, sir." "Uh, yeah? Same here…." And I watched her take off from out under the tree and down the road. Just as I suspected, she was getting drenched in the process. That idiot…. I peered back down to my still glittery hand. Its fingers curled up to make a fist. Why should she care if I get soaked or not? It's not her fault. And it's not like we'll ever see each other again. My eyes lowered a tad. No, I doubt I'll ever see her again. What would be the chances of that?


	4. Unexpected Information

Ban's P.O.V.-

I didn't go back to the teahouse that night. Since I was immune to the rain, I slept outside. It didn't dawn on me until the next morning that I was still wearing the Pink Lady's scarf. With a yawn, I opened my eyes only to immediately feel something around my neck. Sitting up, I yanked it off me and gazed down at it; pink sparkly dust was still sprinkled all over it. That's right, my eyes lowered in remembrance. She gave this to me last night, cause she thought I was cold from the rain… My glare sharpened resolutely. I should get arid of it; it's not like I'll ever see her again to give it back.

I don't know why but for a minute, my mind stopped thinking. My fingers instinctively curled around the fabric, rolling into a fist while still holding the scarf. That damn fairy dust…. I could still smell her, the scent of flowers… and pink. My grip tightened on the scarf. Damn it all…. Maybe… maybe I could keep it… But not because she gave it to me! I could care less where it came from; it just kept me warm, that's all. That's all…..

Not knowing if my friends were still at the teahouse, I decided to aimlessly wander around town for the day. They wouldn't leave without me and I'd bump into them eventually if I kept around town; Diane was kind of hard to miss. Just so long as I didn't go to the teahouse….. And granted, there were tons of teahouses all around here; of which I was also avoiding. But I still couldn't chance it. Besides, I didn't even like tea; there was nothing there for me. Nothing.

My feet came to halt as I stood there with my hands buried in my pockets. That's right, nothing… No tea and no soulmate. I gave the side of my head a hit. "Gees! I gotta stop obsessing over it! I'm gonna go crazy like this!" It's true; I was so preoccupied with avoiding my "soulmate" that I was becoming neurotic. "Ugh! I just need a mental break," my mind quickly mulled it over. "I need to go somewhere where I know there'll be no girls." But where would that be? Hmmmmm wait! Didn't the chief say something about this being a big university town? That's perfect! Woman can't go to university; it's an all-male zone. Who cares if I can't read? I definitely won't run into any soulmates there. I'll just stay in the library and out of the way; no one will notice me.

Excited to have a plan in mind, I made a mad dash to where I thought the university was. It honestly wasn't that hard to find. It was one of the three castles in this place; and they still call it a town? Ah, who cares! Just as I expected, nothing but males inside the front gates. No one paid attention to my arrival. I strolled on through the main entrance like I was a student; if that wasn't a joke. "Library…. library… which one of these buildings is the library?" It was hard to tell. Just one grey stone tower after another in a sort of box shape; the interior of the castle.

Confused, I decided to ask someone rushing by me. He was an older-looking guy, probably a teacher, in a long dark robe with gold trim. "Uh, excuse me, sir? Can you tell me where's the library?" He paused to look over at me, adjusting his glasses before his expression turned to elation. "Ah, my dear boy! I'm sorry; this place can be confusing. Are you a new student?" "Uh… yeah." Why not lie? I'll be long gone before he figures out what's happened. "Well, welcome to the university, my boy! I'm Dean Cross!" He enthusiastically shook my hand. Dean? What's a "dean"?

"I'm so sorry! I'd escort you to the library myself; I work there often. But unfortunately, the council has its unreasonable demands. Um….. uh… ah!" The dean's eyes lit up as another young man walked near us. He was tall, pale, and had silver hair. "Zero! Zero, son!" I watched this crazy man wave him over. The guy looked, rolled his eyes, and came over to us without a word. "This is my son, Zero. Zero, this is a new student, um… er… what's your name, my boy?" "Uh, Ban?" "Ban, Ban…. why does that name sound familiar? Ah, never mind!" The dean's hand tossed up into the air. "Zero, could you please show Ban where the library is?" He then asked his unimpressed son.

Zero's arms folded, complimenting the predominant frown on his face. "I have patrol." "Please, son? It'll only take you a minute or two." Zero eyed me up with a stiff lip. "Fine," he eventually sighed. "That's my boy!" Dean Cross happily patted him on the back, causing Zero to flinch. Huh, these two had a close familial bond, I rolled my eyes inwardly. Zero responded by giving the dean a look. "Aren't you supposed to be at a meeting?" "Ugh! Don't remind me!" The dean moaned dramatically. How old was this guy? He was more eccentric than the chief.

"Those guys are too demanding of me and this university! We're a university for pete's sake; not some secret service!" Both Zero and I watched the dean's arms toss furiously up into the air. "It's like the usurper doesn't think we have anything better to do than help him find the seven deadly sins. That's not our job!" "Wait, what?" My eyes grew in bewilderment. Did he just say "find the seven deadly sins"? While I looked utterly dumbfounded, Zero's eyes merely rolled exasperated. "I'm sure you can find a way out of it. This university is still loyal to king Bartra; he knows that." "Uh huh," Dean Cross shot his son an unconvinced expression. "Yeah, sure. That's how the monarchy works."

Sighing and shaking his head, Zero turned to leave; I think he'd had enough of the conversation. "Come on, I'll take you to the library." "Uh, thanks?" Still very confused, I glanced at the dean as he ran all the way to another building. Before he got too far, he waved back at me. "Nice meeting you, Ban! I'll see you around campus!" He doesn't recognize me, I slowly began to internalize. When I turned back, I found Zero peering back at me as well. He wasn't looking at me per se, but my new scarf. "Something wrong?" I asked, shoving my hands back into my pocket. "That scarf…. it looks familiar." "It does?" I gazed down at it curiously. Maybe it was a common style or pattern around here. He didn't say anything more, continuing to lead me in silence.

In any other situation, this would have been extremely awkward, but my mind was currently elsewhere. So, they've reached out to universities to help find us now, have they? And the dean had no clue who I was, even after I told him my name. I guess I shouldn't be surprised; I've never been here before, so no one would know what I looked like. Still…. We shouldn't stick around. They may not realize it's us now, but sooner or later someone will figure it out. I've got to tell the others about this tonight, once I'm sure they've left the teahouse. That dean may be bumbling and spacy, but he won't be blind forever. My eyes scrolled up to the back of Zero. It's not dangerous yet but still, the sooner we get out of here, the better.


	5. Rescue

Eilonwy's P.O.V.-

Ten Years Ago:

 _Floating then sinking….. I was sinking quickly. I never thought I'd drown or that I'd slip into the rushing river. But I did. I fell into the water off the riverbank. The horrible taste of salt water filled my mouth as I desperately tried gasping for air. Before I realized what was happening, I was being carried out towards the sea, though I'd probably drown before I got there._

 _I reached a rocky part of the river, with some rocks being just high enough to extend out of the water. I grabbed onto one as I passed with all my thirteen-year-old might. Being a weak, lanky girl, my grip was unfortunately not strong. But it was enough to let me hold on for a minute; using it as leverage, I pulled my head out of the rushing current for what felt like the biggest breath of my life. I'm sure it hurt but I couldn't feel anything at the moment; I was just so desperate for air. The much-needed breath let me speak, or rather cry out for help. I only had a minute before the water swept me under again so I wasted no time._

" _Help! Please! Someone! Someone, help me!" That was all I could manage to say before that disgustingly salty water filled my mouth again. My body went into panic mode as I started losing control of my mind. Funny; I always thought drowning would be like going to sleep, passing out….. but I was fully alert and all my senses were overstimulated. It was the strangest feeling- being conscious yet having no control over your thoughts. My limbs started to thrust on their own accord; I had officially lost all mental willpower over my body. My mind started to race; also outside my control. Panic, unbelievable fear, a desire to live, and memories… so many memories._

 _One distinct memory stood out to me however. It was of my father trying to persuade me to learn to read. Back when I was a child… I hated learning to read and write. I was bad at it, though Daddy kept telling I would get better if I practiced. I didn't want to learn… School was for boys; why should I have to suffer? He also encouraged me to use fairy magic; something I was also leery about. "It'll make your life easier," he used to tell me. Gently moving some stray hairs behind my ear, he smiled down at me with soft, sad eyes. "Life's already hard enough. Why not make what you can easier?"_

 _Daddy! My eyes winced shut as my chest began to burn. The pain of lacking oxygen was starting to set in. Daddy, I promise that if I live, I will follow your advice! I will study hard and learn as much as I can! I will use as much fairy magic as I can get my hands onto! Oh god, I would have been crying if it wasn't for the water. I wish I could have told you how much your advice meant to me while you were alive. I'm sorry, Daddy. Now I was starting to lose consciousness. I'm sorry….._

 _Then, like a miracle had occurred, two hands broke through the surface reaching down for me. I found my motionless body being snatched up relatively easily. Then, in a show of more ease, they immediately plucked me out of the water and placed me on the riverbank. With my eyes still shut, I had already started coughing up what felt like half the river when the same arm stretched under me to lift my upper half off the ground._

 _After hacking for a couple of minutes straight, I finally found the strength to open my eyes. Gazing up warily, I saw this young man- maybe a year or two older than me- staring down at me with a worried expression. His hair was long, silky, and silver, and his skin was very pale. He felt very strong, judging by the way his arm felt; the one propping me up. He held me in such a way that I couldn't choke on any leftover water I had yet to cough up. Being a young teenage girl, I couldn't help but feel insanely awkward. This was the first time a boy had ever held me…. and after saving me no less. This guy was my savour, I began to comprehend as he continued to look at me. He saved me…._

" _Are you alright now?" He asked after a brief moment. "I… I think so?" I blushed slightly. Man! The first time a guy holds me and I look like a drowned rat. How's that fair? He didn't seem phased by it however. Instead he helped me sit up on my own and drew his arm back. "Not a strong swimmer, are you?" My savour said with a hint of attitude, which I detected instantly. "I never said I was!" I was probably more brash than I wanted to be but what can I say? I was putting on a front because the situation was still so weird to me. "Clearly," he gave the tiniest side smirk in the corner of his mouth. I wanted to retort back but didn't know what to say._

 _Turns out I didn't have to say anything, since he spoke next. "You fall into the river or something?" "Yeah," I sighed heavily. "I fell off the bank; slipped on something I guess." "Can't swim and clumsy," his smirk grew a bit. "I'm not usually clumsy," I frowned slightly, though I was secretly starting to enjoy myself. "You were today," I flinched in surprise as his hand unexpectedly reached over to pull back my wet hair. My cheeks sizzled as I felt him scan me once over. "W-what are you doing?!" "What you do think I'm doing? I'm looking for injuries." "Well I'm not injured, so you can let go of my hair!" "I'm not pulling it," he sighed; in relief, I think. Then his hand pulled away again. "You look fine; aside from being sobbing wet." "Yeah, well from now on, I'll use fairy dust to keep me dry," I rang my hair out. "You use magic?" He sounded half-surprised; only half. "I do… or I will, now." "Whatever."_

 _I watched as he then stood up, brushing a few stray grass strands off him. It was then that I was his wet sleeves for the first time. Of course they'd be drenched… my eyes slowly rolled up to his face. He did just recuse me from drowning….. "Uh, t-thank you…. for saving me," like a classic damsel-in-distress, I heard myself thank him without my brain's permission. He didn't look phased at all. "Yeah; just next time, try not to drown yourself. I don't wanna have to make a habit of pulling you out of the river," he said like it was the most casual thing in the world; he was even adjusting his wet sleeves while saying it._

 _I however, was blushing more than I ever had in my life. He said that so naturally and bluntly… Like he would actually do it too; save me again…. I felt my heart start to race as I brought my hand up to my chest. "What's your name?" My mouth asked again without my mind's consent. "Why do you want to know?" He sounded a little defensive. I blinked in surprise. "Uh… b-because you just saved me? And I wanna know it?" My shoulders gave a little innocent shrug. He eyed me for a moment before turning his head to the side, away from my gaze. "It's Zero." "Zero…." I repeated to myself quietly. "Hi Zero; I'm Eilonwy. It's nice to meet you."_


End file.
